Egg-cleaning apparatus



Sept. 30, 1930. L. G. CRAMER EGG CLEANING APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR C'l'cllfl er BY b S S.

i ATTORNEY Sept. 30, 1930. L e. CRAMER EGG CLEANING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1928 I [LEE] [11 x11 II] I INVENTOR L G. (21111? er BY L.) w

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LESTER G. omen, or PETALUMA, earn-01mm, ASSIGNOR or emu-mm? 'ro FAY :onuson, or ra'ranuma, canmoama EGG-CLEANING APPARATUS Application filed June 18,

This invention relates to devices for cleaning eggs so that they will present an attractive and marketable appearance. The principal object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the purpose which will entire- 1y wash and scrub the eggs over the entire surface thereof without manual attention or handling being necessary other than to feed the eggs to the machine. 1

Another object is to arrange the scrubbing and washing features of the machine so that cold water will be sufiicient for proper cleaning operations instead of having to use hot water as at present deemed necessary and which is harmful to the eggs.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is the side elevation of the complete apparatus partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the machine at its feed-in end.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged top plan view of the egg advancing and rotating conveyor.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the frame of the machine comprises a pair of suitably spaced side beams 1 supported a convenient distance from the floor by legs 2 de-. pending from said beams at intervals. Transversely spaced pairs of sprockets 3 are disposed at the ends of the frame and inwardly of the beams and support endless chains 4 which extend therebetween.

For the greater portion of the distance between the sprockets the upper runs of the chains are maintained horizontally and at a lower level than the tops of the sprockets by means of upwardly yieldable weighted 1928. Serial No. 286,437.

idler sprockets 5. Extending for the full length of the above horizontal portion of the chains is the egg supporting member 6 which has a shallow groove 7 running from end to end which is curved approximately the same as the longitudinal curvature of an egg, and forming a channel along which the eggs travel. Guide members 8 mounted on the channel to the sides of the grooves 'support the upper runs of the chains and also prevent lateral displacement of the same. The channel is adjustably supported from the frame by adjustable hanger bolts 9 projecting through the beams 1 and connected to cross bars 10 extending under the channelat intervals.

Extending between and connected to the chains at evenly spaced intervals throughout the length of the same are transverse conveyor bars 11, the spacing between adjacent bars being sufiicient to freely receive an egg therebetween as plainly shown in Fig. 3. The opposite sides of the bars are concaved as shown at 12 to substantially conform-to the longitudinal curvature of an egg, while said bars on the bottom havea swell 13 depending below the chains and projecting toward the groove of the channel substantially parallel thereto. The purpose of this specific construction of the bars will be seen later. The chains and bars are so disposed relative to the channel on which the eggs are supported that the bars will engage the 'eggs approximately at their points of greatest diameter. V I

Mounted on brackets 14: projecting upwardly from the frame intermediate the idler sprockets 5 are sprocket wheels 15 over which endless chains 16 pass. Extending between and connected to these chains at intervals throughout their length are the back members 17 of brushes whose bristles 17 project outwardly from the chains, and Whose width is such as to fit between the sides of the guide members 8 as shown in Fig. 4. The brushes are spaced apart along the chains so as to permit all the eggs to rotate, when not engaged with the brushes, so as to insure all the surfaces of the eggs being sooner or later engaged and cleaned by contact with the 100 various brushes. Also the bristles are trimmed transversely so as to substantially follow the contour of the e gs. The backs 17 on the lower run of the rush chains ride on guides 18 projecting inwardly from and secured to the beams 1. The bristles are of suflicient length to engage the surfaces of the eggs supported 011 the channel 6, from end to end of the eggs.

A water pipe 19 which is suitably orificed along its bottom is positioned above the lower run of the brushes and centrally of the width of the. egg channel so as to discharge sprays ofwater onto the brushes and eggs below. A drain pan 20 is supported from the frame under the channel to catch all surplus water, the conveyor and channel being arranged to be partly submerged in the water. A drain pipe 21 from the pan 20 prevents the top of the pan from overflowing and enables the amount of water retained in the pan to be controlled to the desired level.

Driving means for the conveyor and brush chains preferably comprise a motor 22 operably connected at reduced speed to a transverse shaft 23 by suitable gearing 24.

Sprockets 25 on the shaft 23 are operatively connected to one end of the conveyor unit and to one end of the brush units by,

chains 26 so that the lower run of brushes travels in the opposite direction to the upper run of the conveyor unit.

, In operation the eggs 27 to be cleaned are deposited between the bars of the conveyor chains at the feed-in end of-the machine, resting on an apron 28 under the bars until the channel 6 is reached. The eggs are then advanced by the conveyor bars, which cause them to be rotated owing to the point at which the eggs are engaged by said bars. On account of the curved sides of the bars and the similarly curved supporting surface of the channel member, the eggs will be propelled forwardly without their being caused to wobble either horizontally or vertically so that they would tend to ride on one end or the other. The swells 13 at the bottom of the bars prevent the eggs from possibly assing under the bars and being crushe' between said bars and the channel surface;

The revolving motion thus imparted toithe eggs causes the upper surface of the same to move inthe direction oppositeto the" direction of movement of the brushes.- The latter will therefore efi'ectivelyscrub the surface of the eggs engaged thereby, which scrubbing action is of course aided bythe constant spray of water fallingthereonfrom the pipe 19, i As the eggs pass to the rear end of the channel they are received on an apron 29' which follows the upward slope of the Y conveyor chains to the adjacent sprockets 3,

from which apron the eggs are removed by hand and packed in containers for shipment or they may pass directly to a drying apparatus or process arranged in connection with the cleaning machine.

The adj ustability of the channel enables the same (and the ad'acent portion of the conveyor unit also) to e raised and lowered according to the size of the eggs so that the latter will always be properly engaged with the brushes.

The capacity of the machine depends of course upon its size and upon the speed of operation, the one illustrated being capable of cleaning between fifty and seventy-five cases of eggs per day of eight hours, depending on the speed of operation of the motor. While water has been specified as the cleaning agent, it will be obvious that other cleaning agencies such as sand or other liquids and substances may be used, as well as certain processing oils if desired.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An egg cleaning apparatus including a supporting channel for a row of eggs, means for engaging the'individual eggs of the row and advancing them along the channel, a scrubbing brush engaging the upper surfaces of the advancing eggs, and means for moving said brush parallel-to the channel, but in the direction opposite to the advance of the eggs.

2. Anegg cleaning apparatus including a smooth surfaced supporting channel for a row of eggs, moving means engaging the individual'eggs of the row for advancing them along the channel and at the same time causing the eggs to rotate, and a movable'brush engaging the upper surfaces of the rotating eggs.

3. An egg cleaning apparatus including a supporting channel for a row of eggs, moving means engaging the individual eggs of the row for advancing them along the channel and at the same time causing the eggs to rotate, a brush engaging the upper surfaces of the rotating eggs, and means for moving the brush in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the eggs.

- 4. A structure as in claim 2, with means for vertically adjusting said channel and advancing means as a unit-relative to the brush.

5. Anegg cleanin apparatus including a supporting channel or a row of eg means for engagmg the individual eggs 0? the row and advancing them along the channel, in

spaced relation to each other, and for causing them to rotate at the same time, a member above and parallel to the advancing means and channel, means .for moving said member in the direction opposite to the movement of the advancing means, and spaced brushes to engage the eggs mounted on said member.

6. An egg cleaning apparatus including a longitudinal supporting member for the eggs, said eggs being disposed on said member in the form of a row and with their major axes disposed transversely of the supporting member, transversely extending elements for engaging the individual eggs substantially midway their height and length, means for moving said elements parallel to and lengthwise of the supporting member, whereby to cause the eggs to be rotated as they are advanced; the surfaces of the supporting member and egg moving elements engaging the eggs being 2 concavely curved to substantially conform to the curvature of the eggs to cause the latter to roll with their major axes remaining in a transverse horizontal plane, and cleaning means acting on the eggs as they are thus rotating and advancing along the supporting member.

In testimony whereof I afiix m signature.

' LESTER G. C AMER. 

